It seemed that lately, the Shadow Vipers were in the business of unaliving people.
Well, at least they were all bad guys who deserved every last stab, bite, explosion, or poison that they received.
Staring into those gentle, vulnerable eyes, Marcus knew he was treading in dangerous territory. He needed to protect the boy, but he also couldn’t help that awkward feeling that was beginning to grow just beneath his rib cage.
“So, what do you want for breakfast? I can make eggs and sausage?”
Gavin gave a tired groan.
“Just kidding. I’ll make you a kale smoothie and lawn clipping salad.”
The sweet sound of Gavin chuckling filled the room.
“Sounds delicious.”
Yes, it sounded delicious… didn’t it? He should probably buy a vegetarian cookbook to finally figure out what those weirdoes ate. If he was going to keep this one fed and entertained, he should probably know what they regularly consumed.
He turned to his cupboard, opened it, and started rummaging inside.
18
MARCUS
Twenty-Seven Years Ago
“Marcus, get in the car, sweety. It’s time to go home,” Marcus’s mother called from the open window of her broken-down, piece-of-shit car that was crawling around on its last life.
Marcus ignored his mother. “It’s your turn, Billy.”
He didn’t want to go home. The streetlights weren’t even on, and he was just about to beat his best friend at knives.
Holding his hand flat against the concrete, Marcus waited for his buddy to pick up the knife and begin stabbing between his spread fingers. Marcus had already beaten his other two friends, who chickened out and cried “Mercy” when Marcus brought the blade down between their third or fourth fingers.
Marcus decided to be nice and let his best friend start off asthe stabber. His friend just had to stab between his fingers until the song playing finished or Marcus said the word “mercy.”
“It’s your turn, Billy. Or are you too chicken to try?”
His best friend swallowed hard, and he stared at Marcus’s spread-out hand.
“But… what if I…” Billy began before being cut off by one more of Marcus’s mother’s bellows from the car.
“Get yo stinkin’ assss in tha car, right now… you piece of fuckin’ shit!”
His mother’s words were slurred once again. Not that her words weren’t on most days.
Marcus was used to it. It was just the way his mother always sounded.
“Argh! Fine!” Marcus shouted, jumping up from the ground and snatching up his blade in the process. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Marcus said as he turned to walk down Billy’s long driveway and hopped inside his mother’s car.
Well, technically, it was Daddy’s, but Mama always liked to use the car when she was heading out to buy some more alcohol.
“It’s abou—fuckin’ time you got in da fuckin’ car,” his mama snapped, not even waiting for Marcus to get fully seated in the car before peeling away from Billy’s house.
Marcus huffed and folded his arms across his chest.
“Why did you come pick me up? It’s not even dark yet. I’m twelve years old. I can walk home by myself.”
“Mama needs to stop at the store real quick,” his mother stated as she blew through a stop sign, narrowly missing a car turning right.
